Tea partyers endanger nation

Michael P. Rethman summarily rejects the idea that any members of the tea party in Congress are terrorists in any sense ("Biden ignores calls for civility," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 3).

However, many of these extremists held Congress and the public hostage in the recent debt crisis, which threatened the possibility of federal default with its catastrophic economic consequences for America and the world.

They refused any increase in revenues through tax hikes or reforming the tax code. They insisted on drastic budget cuts alone, which threaten Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, food stamps, student loans, family planning, the disabled, veterans’ benefits, the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, infrastructure maintenance, etc.

Such cuts are the single most direct and imminent threat to national security, endangering many millions of Americans.

Leslie E. Sponsel
Honolulu

Fawning over Lingle is strange

In his fawning column, Richard Borreca sings the praises of a forgettable politician ("Experience as governor could be Lingle’s strong suit," Star-Advertiser, On Politics, Aug. 2).

Linda Lingle? Didn’t she once name George W. Bush as one of the greatest presidents in our history? The same political savant that championed the cause of Sarah Palin? The same bold leader who approved Furlough Fridays and declined a forum with concerned parents who went so far as to camp outside of her office? This is how she defines "common sense" and "bipartisanship"?

Perhaps Lingle and her GOP associates should focus on good old American values (dignity, compassion for our elderly and less fortunate, fostering a strong middle class, and expecting everyone to pay their fair share in taxes) prior to taking on the Democrats.

Walter Williams
Kailua

College tour was great idea

Bravo to the University of Hawaii and the state Department of Education for embarking on an initiative to reach out to students ("Leeward Coast kids explore academia in UH visit," Star-Advertiser, Aug. 4).

The college tour, with an array of activities that shows that college isn’t just writing papers and math homework, along with financial workshops, is a great way to reach out to the students who normally could not see the full spectrum of college life.

I remember thinking of college as a far-fetched idea due to my parents’ financial and language constraints. Even though my high school offered college guest speakers on campus, it still required me to take the initiative to reach out to people who didn’t seem to care about my college future anyway.

We should do more in taking the first step to show that college is within reach of everyone.

Yoo Chong
Honolulu

Watch out for mo-peds, too

Thank you for running Gene Park’s article ("View from the corner shows pedestrian safety lacking," Star-Advertiser, July 29).

As a college student and mo-ped driver, my transportation options are limited. Pedestrian misbehav­- ior is nothing compared to people recklessly driving around in 4,000-pound cars.

I am constantly in a blind spot of drivers and have been almost hit multiple times. Pedestrians might not look both ways, but I can guarantee drivers don’t look out for mo-ped drivers. Due to the maximum speed of 20 mph on my mo-ped, impatient drivers are constantly passing me. Being out in the open, I am always vulnerable to reckless drivers. We all can be more cautious and look out for one another on the road.

Claire Cocker
Honolulu

APEC upgrades will mask reality

Your headline "$137 million in public and private funds is being spent to clean up the city before November" (Star-Advertiser, Aug. 3) in preparation for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, is a shocking testament to the waste and hypocrisy of our state and local government.

"Fast-tracking" improvements from the airport via the Nimitz corridor to Waikiki will present a great misrepresentation of the quality of life in Honolulu. Should APEC delegates venture off the corridor they will be faced with the reality that local residents and tourists confront every day: tent cities on our sidewalks and potholed and decrepit highways and streets that are perilous.

Why can’t our officials fast-track the rest of Honolulu’s roadways and clean up our sidewalks so that local residents can share in the APEC enthusiasm?

Alexander Garcia
Honolulu